Ben-Nevis.com BEN NEVIS - 'The Ben' Fàilte! Ben Nevis (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Nibheis) is the highest mountain in the British Isles. It is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Lochaber area of Scotland, close to the town of Fort William and is affectionately known as 'The Ben.' Ben Nevis attracts an estimated 125,000 complete and a further 100,000 partial ascents per year, most of which are made by walkers using the well-constructed Mountain Track ( Pony Track ) from Glen Nevis on the south side of the mountain. For climbers and mountaineers the main attraction lies in the 600-metre (2,000 ft) high cliffs of the north face. Among the highest cliffs in the United Kingdom, they harbour some of the best scrambles and rock climbs at all levels of difficulty, and are one of the principal locations in the UK for ice climbing.

The summit, at 1,344.527m (4,411ft 2in) (or 1,345m on the new Ordnance Survey maps) above sea level, unusually for a mountain in Scotland, features the ruins of a building, an observatory , which was permanently staffed from 1883 until its closure in 1904.

The Origins of the Name The name, 'Ben Nevis,' is from the Gaelic, 'Beinn Nibheis.' While 'beinn' is a common Gaelic word for 'mountain' the word 'nibheis' is understood to have several meanings and is commonly translated as 'malicious' or 'venomous' therefore giving the meaning of 'Venomous (or malicious) mountain.' Another interpretation of the name Ben Nevis, is that it derives from beinn nèamh-bhathais, from the word nèamh meaning 'heavens (or clouds)' and bathais meaning 'top of a man's head.' This would therefore translate literally as, 'the mountain with its head in the clouds' although this is sometimes also given as the more poetic, 'mountain of heaven.' Popular Ben Nevis : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost Summit of Ben Nevis (Photo by Barbon ) Ben Nevis (1345 m) is the highest point in Scotland and the United Kingdom.

It is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Lochaber area of Scotland, and is only a short distance from the coastal town of Fort William . The mountain's name is obscure in origin with several different theories surrounding its etymology. Ben is of course is the Anglicised word for 'beinn' which means mountain, the origin of the word Nevis howver, is uncertain. One theory is that it's derived from the Irish word 'neamhaise', which means 'terrible', while another suggests that it comes from the Gaelic words 'neamh' or 'nibheis', the former meaning 'a raw atmosphere'; while the latter is commonly translated as 'malicious' or 'venomous'. Any climber who has experienced the mountain while a cold northerly wind blasts snow and spindrift across the summit plateau will be able to attest that Ben Nevis has all of these qualities. A slightly gentler alternative interpretation is that Beinn Nibheis is derived from beinn-neamh-bhathais. 'Neamh' means 'heavens clouds' and 'bathais' means 'top of a man's head'.

A literal translation could therefore be "the mountain with its head in the clouds", though the slightly more poetic "Mountain of Heaven" is equally plausible. "The Ben" as it is commonly known, marks the western most flank of the aptly named Ben Nevis Range, which is home to some of the country's highest mountains. The views from the summit encompass a considerable part of Scotland's most spectacular scenery, including the mountains of Glen Coe to the south, Sunart Ardgour to the south west, Glen Albyn to the north, Rannoch Moor to the east and faint glimpses of the Isle of Mull in the far south, just beyond the furthest reaches of Loch Linnhe. Ben Nevis is the central attraction for winter climbing in the UK, and its gullies and buttresses draw climbers from across Europe. The main winter attraction is its mixed climbing, which involves climbing over a combination of rock, ice and snow. Whether its ridges, gullies or slabs, Ben Nevis has routes that will appeal to all. Compared to the rest of the British Isles, the routes on Ben Nevis are longer than anywhere else, and display an Alpine-like seriousness.

In summer, when the snow and ice has melted, the mountain's rock routes come into condition, and vary from easy scrambles to extremely challenging multi-pitch technical climbs. Many of the routes are historically important, having either been first ascended during rock climbings embryonic years in the late 19th century, or have been created by some of the UK's most talented climbers who have been responsible for pushing the ever increasing standards of British climbing. The mountain receives approximately 100,000 ascents a year with 3/4 of these being via the standard tourist route from Glen Nevis. The southern and western sides are characterised by easy walk ups, while the northern and eastern aspects have enough rock and ice to keep technical climbers of all abilities returning for years. Summits of the Ben Nevis Range Ben Nevis gives its name to the Ben Nevis Range, a 16km long spine of mountains that run from Loch Linnhe in the west to Lairig Leanach in the east. Dotted along the chain are a number of Britain’s highest mountains including Aonach Beag and Aonach Mor , both popular winter climbing venues.

In the far east the mountains of the Grey Corries are much less frequented and offer a quieter more personal experience than their larger neighbours. The mountains of the range are mapped and listed below. NN139729 Geology Ben Nevis and its neighbours are the last remnants of what was once one of the world's greatest mountain ranges. The geology of the area is characterised by the Dalradian Supergoup which was produced by intensive metamorphism and deformation arising from 'mountain building', caused by continental collision. Formed during the Precambrian and Cambrian periods between 700 and 600 million (and very possibly as recent as 500 million) years ago (ma), the Dalradian sediments and associated volcanics were originally laid down, or in the case of the volcanics erupted onto, the southern margin of a palaeo-continent known as Laurasia, which is represented today largely by the Precambrian basement rocks of North America, Greenland, the north of Ireland and, of course, the Scottish Highlands.

Simplified Geological Map of Scotland The Caledonian Orogeny Laurasia sat on the northern margins of a vast sea known as the Iapetus Ocean, which was created in Late Proterozoic time (1.6 Ga to 0.6 Ga) by the rifting and pulling apart of a large supercontinent known as Rodinia. The opening started sometime around 650 Ma ago and by the beginning of Ordovician (490 to 443 ma), at 510 Ma, the ocean was at its widest, with a possible width of up to 5000 km. On the opposite side lay the supercontinent of Gondwana, consisting of the basements of South America, Africa, India, Australia, East Antarctica and Western Europe (including southern Ireland, England and Wales). A separate continent, Baltica (comprising of what is today Scandinavia and parts of Russia), lay to the north east of Gondwana, separated by an arm of the Iapetus Ocean known as the Tornquist Sea.

During the early Ordovician a micro-continent known as Avalonia (comprising of what today is largely England and Wales), broke away from Gondwana and drifted towards Laurentia. By the late Ordovician, the continental plates of Laurentia, Gondwana and Baltica had started to converge initiating a series of new tectonic and magmatic processes that marked the start of the Caledonian Orogeny. The Dalradian Supergroup underwent deformation and metamorphism as the continental landmasses collided, closing the Iapetus. Geological evidence suggests that Scotland lay on the margin of Laurentia, initially opposite Baltica, while England and Wales lay on the margin of Gondwana/Avalonia, opposite the Newfoundland sector of Laurentia. The terranes were then juxtaposed into their present relative positions by large sinistral (left-lateral) movements on the bounding faults during the later stages of the orogeny. The mid-Ordovician saw the climax of the Caledonian Orogeny in the Scottish Highlands.

This ‘Grampian’ Event is particularly well defined in the NE of the Grampian Terrane, where the main deformation episodes and the peak of regional metamorphism are dated by major tholeiitic basic intrusions that were emplaced at around the late Llanvrin time(c. 470 Ma), towards the end of the event. In the central Grampian Highlands and the Northern Highlands Terrane, the comparable event may have been a little later (c. 455 Ma). This continental collision deformed and folded the various sedimentary rocks, which were also metamorphosed, with the recrystalisation of sandstones to quartzites and mudstones to slates. There was also the intrusion of granite magama, derived from the actual partial melting of rocks lower within the crust, where the heat and deformation caused by the continental collision was most intense. During the early and mid-Silurian (443 to 417 ma) the Iapetus Ocean finally closed along most of its length, with a triangular remnant of oceanic crust around the Laurentia–Baltica–Eastern Avalonia triple junction.

This finally disappeared completely by the early Devonian, with the continents welded together along the lines of the Iapetus and Tornquist sutures. The newly formed supercontinent was known as Laurussia. Both the Northern Highlands and the Grampian terranes underwent tectonic uplift during this period, with significant magmatic events occurring on the extreme ‘north-western’ edge of the Northern Highlands. Calc-alkaline magmatism, with subduction-zone characteristics became widespread and voluminous throughout the former Laurentian terranes throughout the Early Devonian period (417 to 354 ma) and large, essentially granitic, plutons (an intrusive igneous rock body that crystallized from a magma below the surface of the Earth) were emplaced at all crustal levels in the Scottish Highland and Eastern Shetland terranes from early Ludlow to early Lochkovian time. Granitic plutons with lower crustal and mantle characteristics were emplaced at high crustal levels in the Midland Valley Terrane and in the NW part of the Southern Uplands Terrane.

High-level granitic plutons and dyke-swarms were emplaced slightly later (Lochkovian to Pragian) in a broad zone that spans the projected position of the Iapetus Suture in the SE part of the Southern Uplands Terrane and in the Lakesman Terrane. Of these, the youngest are those immediately NW of the suture, in the zone in which the Southern Uplands thrust belt was underthrust by Avalonian crust. The late granitic plutons were emplaced during and immediately following the rapid crustal uplift which produced the Caledonian Mountain chain. High-level crustal extension led to local fault-bound intermontane basins in the Grampian Highland and Southern Uplands terranes and the larger basins of the Midland Valley Terrane. Rapid erosion of the newly formed mountains resulted in the deposition of great thicknesses of continental molasse sediments in these basins during the latest Silurian and Early Devonian (the ‘Old Red Sandstone’). Simplified Geological Map of Scotland The Ben Nevis igneous complex is dominated by granitic rocks, with volcanic rocks restricted to an elliptical outcrop in the south.

Three principal lithologies were identified as early as 1910 by HB Maufe in his publication 'The Geological Structure of Ben Nevis': (1) Outer Granite, (2) Inner Granite, and (3) a down-faulted block dominated by volcanic rocks. The highest ground is occupied by volcanic rocks that sunk hundreds of metres into an underlying body of still-molten magma during the Late Silurian/Early Devonian. This subsidence was accompanied by the eruption of magma to the surface through an encircling ring fracture. Erosion has removed all trace of the volcanic depression (caldera) that would have been created during this major subsidence event (cauldron subsidence), and the deposits of the accompanying eruption (pyroclastic flows). Since the mountain's creation, it has been continually eroded by the forces of nature, with the most significant recent events manifesting themselves in the form of the Quaternary era (1.8 Ma – present day) ice ages. During the Late Devensian Glaciation (c.

126 Ka – 15 Ka) the mountain was completely covered by an ice sheet which exceeded 2,000m in height, and was centred over Rannoch Moor radiating glaciers in all directions. The ice sheet helped carve the glens and lochs that surround the mountain today, affecting almost every aspect of the visual landscape. The sheer volume of water held as ice during this period meant that global sea levels were some 130 m lower than today's and the Scottish glaciers would have outflowed rapidly out over a vast tundra plain stretching far into what is now the Atlantic Ocean. A brief warm period known as the Windermere Interstadial (c. 15 ka – 13.5ka) saw the disappearance of the glaciers and the return of vegetation to the British Isles. Owing to the lingering effects of glacio-isostatic depression many of the glens around the mountain would have been inundated by the sea, creating a landscape that may be comparable to the fjords of Norway we see today.

Evidence for the type of vegetation that existed in northern and central Scotland during this period is slim, as it was not long before the area saw a return to cold conditions with the onset of the Loch Lomond Stadial, known internationally as the Younger Dryas (c. 12.8 to 11.5 ka). An ice sheet re-formed over much of central Scotland, although this time it would not be large enough to cover Ben Nevis in its entirety. Valley glaciers occupied the major glens, and were funnelled around the major landmasses out to sea. Cirque glaciers occupied the higher corries, with glaciers forming in Coire Leis and the depression now home to Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe. The Ben bares the scars of these ice ages in its striated and polished rocks, morainal ridges, perched boulders and weathered cliff faces that are so familiar to climbers today. History A Rankin, R T Omond and RC Mossman Ben Nevis Observatory, 1890s The observatory provided an excellent location for a field laboratory, and scientists from many different disciplines conducted experiments there.

The most famous of these was probably C T R Wilson who is best known for developing the cloud chamber, one of the most important tools used in atomic physics research and for which he received the Nobel Prize for physics in 1927. Wilson was employed as a relief observer for two weeks during the summer of 1894 and was so impressed by the glories and corona that he saw, that he began laboratory experiments on clouds formed by the expansion of moist air. These experiments were the beginning of a highly distinguished scientific career. Among those who worked for longer periods at the observatory were R C Mossman, who was the meteorologist on the Scottish Antarctic Expedition of 1902-1904 and W S Bruce, the expedition's leader. Mossman and Bruce's time at the observatory proved escellent training for their 1902 voyage to the Antarctic in the whaler Scotia. Bruce in particular appeared to have enjoyed his time on Ben Nevis. He not only took observations with the two other observers but plotted bird migrations and made a collection of insects - now in the museum in Edinburgh.

During his stay on the mountain he was sent a pair skis by William Burn-Murdoch - probably the first in Scotland. Bruce was one of the first British polar explorers to become proficient at skiing, and in 1907 was honoured with the position of first President of the Scottish Ski Club. On one occasion his love of skiing almost proved fatal when he just managed to save himself from plunging over the North East Face of Ben Nevis. The opening of the path and observatory made an ascent of Ben Nevis increasingly popular, all the more so after the arrival of the West Highland Railway in Fort William in 1894 which carried tourists and members of the recently formed Scottish Mountaineering Club to the foot of the mountain. Around this time the first of several proposals were made for a rack railway to the summit, luckily for us none of which came to fruition. Some time after the observatory started operating, an enterprising Fort William hotelier opened the diminutive Temperance Hotel near the summit and connected to the main building of the Observatory. The hotel was run by two local ladies on his behalf. It had four bedrooms available at ten shillings per person for dinner, bed and breakfast.

This hotel continued receiving guests right until the end of the First World War, long after the observatory itself had ceased operating. The annual cost of running the observatory was £1000, but government grants only equalled £350. Several times closure was threatened, but generous donations from private individuals temporarily alleviated the problem. Then in 1902 the SMS was told that the grants would be withdrawn at the end of that year. There was a huge public outcry in Scotland and a Treasury Committee of Enquiry was set up to look into the administration of the annual grant of £15,300 to the Meteorological Council. Sufficient funds were obtained to keep the observatories going until the Committee was due to report in 1904, but they only recommended that the annual grant of £350 should continue, ignoring the evidence from the SMS that the sum required was about £950 per annum.

The Directors issued a Memorandum which said "It is to the Directors a matter of profound disappointment that in this wealthy country it should have been found impossible to obtain the comparatively small sum required to carry on a work of great scientific value and interest, and that they are now obliged to dispose of the Observatory buildings and dismiss the staff". The Observatory finally closed on October 1st 1904 after operating for only 21 years. W S Bruce (mentioned above) was most upset by the closure and wrote: “It is significant to note how the Argentine government willingly spent money on a scientific object such as this while nearer home we have the deplorable occurrence of an ignorant government closing the most important meteorological observatory in its country”. The site remained partially occupied for a further 12 years with one room of the keepers hostel and a refreshment room remaining open during the summer months. The observatory fell into disrepair, helped along by a fire in 1932 and the actions of both weather and unthinking climbers. Today the ruins of the observatory are a prominent feature on the summit plateaux.

For the benefit of those injured or caught out by bad weather, an emergency shelter has been built on top of the observatory tower. It should be noted however, that it is only a rudimentary shelter and should not be relied upon as a sanctuary if things go wrong. Although the base of the tower is slightly lower than the mountain's true summit , the roof of the shelter overtops the trig point by several feet, making it the highest man-made structure in Britain. A war memorial to the dead of World War II is located next to the ruins. Ben Nevis Race The first recorded run to the summit of Ben Nevis and back took place on the 27th of September 1895. The course was originally run from the old post office, and the first person to complete it was a local hairdresser, tobacconist, dog breeder and general 'gad about town' (not my words), called William Swan, who set the record at 2 hours 41 minutes.

William Thomas Kilgour described the event in his book Twenty Years on Ben Nevis (1905): "(On Monday) Mr William Swan, tobacconist here, ascended Ben Nevis with the object of establishing a record. The day was exceedingly hot and unsuitable for mountaineering, but, notwithstanding, Mr Swan managed to reach the summit, and, after drinking a cup of Bovril, returned to Fort William in the incredibly short space of 2 hours 41 minutes. This is believed to be a record." Swan's record made him something of a celebrity, and over the following years men from far and wide descended on Fort William with the aim of reaching Ben Nevis' summit and beating the hairdressers time. The first competitive race wasn't held until 3 years later on the 3rd of June 1889, when the race was run by 10 competitors under the rules of the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association. The new race was slightly longer than the one run by Swan, starting at the Lochiel Arms Hotel in Babavie.

The winner was 21-year-old Hugh Kennedy, a gamekeeper at Tor Castle, who finished in 2 hours 41 minutes, coincidentally exactly the same time recorded by Swan back in 1895. Fort William (Photo by visentin ) Meall an t-suidhe (Photo by visentin ) Regular races were held until 1903, when on that year two events were held. The first was a shorter race starting at Achintee, at the foot of the Pony Track, and finished at the summit; it was won in just over an hour by Ewen MacKenzie, an observatory roadman. The second race started at Fort William's new post office, and again the roadman MacKenzie won, lowering the record to 2 hours 10 minutes. He held the record for 34 years, probably helped by the fact that the race wouldn't be held for another 24 years. Sporadic attempts were made to revive the event, but the modern Ben Nevis Race really began in 1937 with the presentation of the MacFarlane Cup by the late George MacFarlane, former provost of Fort William.

Today the race is well established and takes place on the first Saturday in September. Up to 500 entries are accepted from suitably qualified hill runners. Due to the serious nature of mountain running, known in the UK as Fell Running, entry is restricted to those who have completed three fell races, and runners must carry waterproofs, a hat, gloves and a whistle; anyone who has not reached the summit after two hours is turned back. The race starts and finishes at the Claggan Park football ground, is 16km long and has 1,340 m of ascent. The record for men stands at 1 hour, 25 minutes and 34 seconds and is held by Kenneth Stuart of Keswick AC; for ladies the record is 1 hour, 43 minutes and 25 seconds, held by Pauline Haworth, also of Keswick AC. Most people take over six hours. Both records were set in 1984. In 1972 the Connochie Plaque was instituted and is awarded to those runners who complete 21 Ben Nevis Races.

The late Eddie Campbell of Fort William holds the record for the most Ben Nevis Races having run an incredible 44 consecutive times and winning it on no less than three occasions. For information about entering the race click HERE! The Summit Trig Point On the summit of Ben Nevis, next to the ruins of the observatory, you will find the Triangulation Pillar. This is more often than not simply called the 'Trig Point.' [Grid reference NN 166(5) 712(8)]. Many experienced climbers and walkers will tell anyone who will listen that the Trig Points are always found at the highest point on a hill or mountain, this, however is a common misconception. Trig points are actually sited so they can be seen from the other trig point positions on the surrounding hills, in many cases this is the highest point, but not always. It is important that these are positioned in this manner as each Trig Point forms a corner' of a triangle, polygon or other geometric shape.

This is used to produce an accurate framework which in turn is used to provide very exact fixings to the latitude and longitude, thus allowing the map maker and others to be able to work out their precise location any where in Britain. Triangulation and heightening information kindly supplied by Ordinance Survey. Wildlife and Conservation The wildlife of Ben Nevis Range is protected by the Ben Nevis Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and is therefore recognised by the European Community’s Habitats Directive. Ben Nevis SAC covers an area of 9317.18 hectares (93 square km) and includes within its boundaries many of Scotland’s highest mountains including Ben Nevis itself, Carn Mor Dearg, and Aonach Beag. Ben Nevis SAC The area is rich with important habitats, according to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), who are the statutory adviser to Government on UK and European nature conservation, with the exception of Beinn Dearg and the Loch Maree Complex in the north, Ben Nevis has the most extensive development of Siliceous alpine and boreal grassland in the western Highlands.

On the summit plateau of Aonach Mór Carex bigelowii – Racomitrium lanuginosum moss-heath occurs as the highest extensive stand in the UK. The normal dominant Racomitrium lanuginosum is in part replaced on Aonach Mór by R. canescens (sensu lato) , which provides affinities with the vegetation of Iceland and Jan Mayen. The R. canescens is associated with open, wind-blown sandy areas where there is active erosion and deposition of sand caused by the exceptionally high altitude and exposure. Other wind-eroded areas among Carex – Racomitrium moss-heath may be colonised by three-leaved rush Juncus trifidus, and the national rarity curved wood-rush Luzula arcuata. Frequent arctic-alpines in the Carex – Racomitrium moss-heath include least willow Salix herbacea, spiked wood-rush Luzula spicata, J. trifidus and moss campion Silene acaulis. Nardus stricta – Carex bigelowii grass-heath is extensive and occurs mostly in corries and in hollows on ridges where snow lies late.

Carex bigelowii – Polytrichum alpinum sedge-heath occurs on the higher summits where snow lies late in hollows and is more abundant on this site than on any other site in the western Highlands. These communities are associated with some of the most extensive moss-dominated late-lie snow beds (Polytrichum sexangulare – Kiaeria starkei and Salix herbacea – Racomitrium heterostichum snow-beds) outside of the Cairngorms. With Beinn Dearg, Ben Nevis represents high-altitude sub-types of Alpine and subalpine calcareous grasslands in the western Scottish Highlands. The site contains moderately extensive areas of both Festuca ovina – Alchemilla alpina – Silene acaulis dwarf-herb community and Dryas octopetala – Silene acaulis ledge community. There is a moderately rich arctic-alpine flora including alpine mouse-ear Cerastium alpinum, arctic mouse-ear Cerastium arcticum, rock sedge Carex rupestris, hair sedge C.

capillaris, mossy saxifrage Saxifraga hypnoides and alpine meadow-rue Thalictrum alpinum. There are relatively low grazing levels on the northern slopes of Ben Nevis, enabling the high-altitude Dryas heath community to survive on the open hillside, rather than being restricted to inaccessible ledges. Ben Nevis is also representative of high altitude siliceous scree in the north-west Scottish Highlands. The site contains extensive screes of quartzite and granite, with the most extensive known development in the UK of snow-bed screes with parsley fern Cryptogramma crispa, alpine lady-fern Athyrium distentifolium and other ferns. The screes found in the site are diverse, with a range of characteristic species. There is an abundance of acid rock-loving species in high-altitude glacial troughs, corries and on summit ridges.

These include a number of montane bryophytes and arctic-alpine vascular plants, such as curved wood-rush Luzula arcuata, wavy meadow-grass Poa flexuosa, hare’s-foot sedge Carex lachenalii, alpine tufted hair-grassDeschampsia alpina, starwort mouse-ear Cerastium cerastoides, alpine speedwell Veronica alpina and Highland saxifrage Saxifraga rivularis. Starry Saxifrage - Saxifraga stellaris (Photo by norm79 ) Within the Ben Nevis site limestone occurs up to high altitude, notably on Aonach Beag, and this is one of the richest areas outside of the Breadalbane range and Caenlochan for arctic-alpines of calcareous rocks. Calcareous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation are well-represented and Ben Nevis is notable for populations of a number of very rare species which are associated with calcareous outcrops of rock faces in high gullies. These include tufted saxifrage Saxifraga cespitosa, drooping saxifrage S.

cernua and Highland saxifrage S. rivularis. Other national rarities of rock outcrops include glaucous meadow-grass Poa glauca, alpine meadow-grass Poa alpina, arctic mouse-ear Cerastium arcticum and alpine saxifrage Saxifraga nivalis. Other arctic-alpines represented include rose-root Sedum rosea, alpine scurvygrass Cochlearia pyrenaica ssp. alpina, mountain sorrel Oxyria digyna, holly fern Polystichum lonchitis, mossy saxifrage Saxifraga hypnoides and purple saxifrage S. oppositifolia. The area is representative of high-altitude Siliceous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation in north-west Scotland. Crevice communities occur extensively on acidic crags up to a very high altitude and have a diverse flora, with characteristic examples of the commoner arctic-alpine species. The site also supports a number of rare species, including hare’s-foot sedge Carex lachenalii, spiked wood-rush Luzula spicata and alpine speedwell Veronica alpina.

Wildlife in the area is in abundance with some 50 species of flower, 30 species of fern, some 50 species of moss, 5 species of clubmoss, 9 species of Horsetail, around 50 species of lichen, around 50 species of fungus and fungoid, over 50 species of quillwort, stonewort and liverwort, and 16 species of conifer occupying the valleys and mountain sides of the area. Countless insects feed upon and live within this vegetation with some 20 species of butterfly, around 40 species of moth, around 50 species of beetle, around 50 species of spider, 3 species of grasshopper, 8 species of dragonfly,16 species of hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants), as well as countless other species of insect. There area also around 40 species of molluscs, 1 species of flatworm and 1 annelid.

Snow Bunting - Plectrophenax nivalis (Photo rgg ) Within the sites lakes, streams and marshes live a plethora of amphibians and fish including 1 species of Lamprey, and 7 species of bony fish including Brown Trout, Atlantic Salmon, and European Eel. Of the amphibians living in the area are the Common Frog, Common Toad and Palmate Newt. Although rarely seen reptiles also live within the area in the form of the Common Lizard and Slow-worm. Birds include the Common Raven, Eurasian Dotterel, European Golden Plover, Meadow Pipit, Merlin, Red Kite, Ring Ouzel, Rock Ptarmigan and Twite. Among the species of mammals that can be found there are American Mink, Eurasian Badger, Eurasian Red Squirrel, European Mole, European Otter, Mountain Hare, Pine Marten, Red Fox, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Sika Deer, West European Hedgehog, Wild Car, Wood Mouse, Eurasian Pygmy Shrew, Eurasian Common Shrew, Bat (Chiropetra) and the Brown Long-eared Bat. General site character Bogs. Marshes.

Water fringed vegetation. Fens (8%) Heath. Scrub. Maquis and garrigue. Phygrana (20%) Dry grassland. Steppes (11%) Humid grassland. Mesophile grassland (7%) Alpine and sub-alpine grassland (20%) Broad-leaved deciduous woodland (4%) Inland rocks. Screes. Sands. Permanent snow and ice (30%) Information provided by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee Routes Coire Na Ciste (Photo by BigLee ) This section summarises some of the most popular routes on Ben Nevis. As The Ben is so well explored only the routes that are directly associated with the mountains itself have been listed here. For example, for legibility's sake the proliferation of quality single and multi-pitch climbs found in Glen Nevis and the numerous winter climbs on the Aonachs have not been included on this page. For details of scrambling, climbing and winter routes that are more closely associated with Ben Nevis' subsidiary peaks and outlying crags take a look at their own pages (providing they exist).

For a more detailed description of the various routes available I recommend the following guidebooks: Scrambles in Lochaber by Noel Williams Ben Nevis Rock and Ice Climbs by Simon Richardson Winter Climbs Ben Nevis and Glencoe by Alan Kimber Scotland’s Mountain Ridges by Dan Bailey Rock Climbing in Scotland by Kevin Howett Scrambling Ben Nevis has many scrambles and low end technical climbs up its numerous faces, only a few of which are listed below. Owing to the mountains extraordinary ability to hold snow and ice for much of the year, some routes are only possible for a couple of months during high summer. On the other hand in when snow and ice abounds, some scrambles become fun winter routes and can be completed regardless. The following section is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to the mountains scrambles, but more of a way of pointing the reader in the right direction. For a full description of most of these routes see Noel Williams' excellent guide, Scrambles in Lochaber . The Giant's Staircase of Coire Claurigh 2 Rock Climbing Climbing on Ben Nevis is of a traditional affair with most lines situated on the mountain's precipitous north east face.

As with the mountain's scrambles, some routes are only climbable for a short period over the summer, with lingering snow and ice rendering them unscalable for most of the year. The mountain boasts climbs for all abilities, many of which have now become classic routes having been first climbed by iconic characters of British climbing history, such as Robin Smith, Joe Brown and Don Whillans. There is a certain amount of overlap between the harder scrambling and the easier climbing routes, and so in some cases routes have been listed in both sections. Routes and grades are listed with the aid of Simon Richardson's guidebook Ben Nevis Rock and Ice Climbs . Please refer to this or other recommended guidebooks for further descriptions. Coire Leis From Alan Kimber's website… "From the summit shelter a bearing of 134° (grid) GPS NN16897 71017 should be held. Initially the ground will be flat. After 100m the gradient becomes abruptly steeper and some short posts may be seen; keep these to your left (north-east).

From the steepening ground after approximately 200m of descent a slight col will be found to the left (east) half a kilometre from the summit. At this point is a metal sign (GR 171710 – GPS NN17099 71005) with information relating to the ‘Abseil Posts’." Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe (Photo by visentin ) Card Dearg (Photo by Boydie ) The Pony Track (Photo by Outdoorgirl_ca ) The North-Western Slopes For those looking for a descent from Ben Nevis's North-Western aspect, such as from the top of Castle Ridge, it's easy to descend down the gental North-Western slopes in a bee-line towards the upper car park. Once you're off Ben Nevis's slopes follow a broken metal fence and it'll lead you directly to the car park (although you'll need to cross the Allt a’Mhuilinn stream immediately before.

Descending the NW slopes of Ben Nevis (photo by BigLee ) The Pony Track (photo by Rapparee ) NW slopes of Ben Nevis (photo by BigLee ) UK Grading Systems As SummitPost is an international site, and Ben Nevis is likely to be an objective for many visiting climbers, I've decided to include a section on the various grading systems used in the UK. The section is deliberately brief, however if you would like a more detailed explanation of how the grades are defined then most guidebooks will have a few paragraphs dedicated to explaining them. Alternatively UKClimbing.com has a helpful page that gives a bit more information on rock climbing grades. A fact sheet by Corax containing a grade comparison table is available here on SummitPost. UK Scrambling Grading System UK Scrambles are usually rated using Steve Asherton’s numerical system of either Grade 1, 2, 3 or 3S (S for serious), with the grade being based around technical difficulty and exposure of the scramble. Over the years the way scrambles were graded in southern Britain and Scotland diverged with the English and Welsh guidebooks using Asherton’s system and Scottish guidebooks using their own system of Grades 1 to 5.

In most modern guidebooks however, an attempt has been made to resolve this rift by removing the ‘S’ from Asherton’s grading system and removing the ‘5’ from the Scottish system, evening out the grades from 1- 4 for both areas, and thus removing any confusion between the two higher ended grades. Grade Ice up to 70 degrees, good ice and gear 5 Ice up to 80 degrees, ice is generally not as good as grade 4 and there may be few opportunities for rest 6 Vertical ice! Ice formations such as overlaps may exist and protection will be limited and difficult to place. 7 onwards As 6 but longer, harder, poorer ice and less protection! The lower grades are quite well defined however higher grades are more subjective. The hardest Scottish Route is currently Scottish XI 11, put up by Dave Mcleod , although this was not on Ben Nevis. This climb was done in a completely trad style as is the norm with scottish winter climbing.

Mountain Conditions Mountain Weather Information Servise (MWIS) - weather forecast (just in case you hadn't guessed) Metcheck - 7 day weather forecast When To Climb and Essential Gear Ledge Route (Photo by AndrewSmyth ) This obviously depends on whether winter or summer climbing is your thing. Winter routes in the west coast of Scotland generally come into condition in the second half of the winter. In the last three years March has been the best month however Ben Nevis is far from predictable. Despite Ben Nevis' comparitivly low altitude it can get very cold with temperatures dropping to near Arctic levels, many inexperienced walkers and climbers have been caught out in these conditions most are rescued safely by mountain rescue teams however occasionally the consequences are more serious, and every year casualties occur. During the summer it can rain a lot. Whatever time of year you need to check weather and conditions beforehand as they are eratic. In summer always wear a solid pair of boots and carry full waterproofs. In winter conditions extra layers are essential and an ice axe must be carried and if an attempt is to be made on the harder scrambles a helmet, crampons and a rope are also all essential.

For true winter routes specialist winter and ice climbing equipment is necessary and owing to the unpredictable conditions of snow and ice these lines should only be attempted by those with experience of winter techniques. Mountain Rescue Survival shelters are located in the following places: 250 yards from the summit of Carn Dearg NW 150 yards above Lochan in Coire Leis Next to the observatory on the summit itself These shelters have been painted Orange for easy identification. There are rescue Kits available at the CIC Hut, at the Steall Hut and in Fort William. There is a direct line to the police in the CIC Hut. The nearest telephones are at the Glen Nevis Youth hostel or a public phone near the Fort William Distillery at Lochy Bridge. Ben Nevis is served by the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team who cover have responsibility over a relatively large area including Knoydart and the islands of Rum and Eigg. The team should only be called out if you are in extreme difficulty and that your life, or the life of another is under threat. As with all of the UK’s emergency services, to contact mountain rescue, phone 999 and ask for mountain rescue (obviously).

For Mountain Rescue Air lift: Secure all lose equipment and gear Clear an area for the helicopter to land or clear bystanders Signal the helicopter, by raising the arms above the head in a V Have a belay ready, but do not clip in the winchman until he says so. Field the winchman until he gets his bearings. Do not approach the helicopter until the pilot signals. Be aware of the main and tail rotors. Getting There Scotland Reaching Fort Willaim Ben Nevis is located close to Fort William in the north west of Scotland an is served by bus and train. Some information about reaching Fort William by public transport, as well as the public transport is available here . Trains can be booked here . If you plan to take the over-night train between Fort William and London (or on route) then make sure you have a birth reserved. As a last resort there is a seated carrage but if this is full then you won't be allowed to ride the train. Citylink operate a bus service between Glasgow and Fort William. Some of these buses also continue to the Isle of Skye. Fort William can also be reached from Oban, Kyle of Lochalsh and Inverness.

One bus a day runs to Mallaig and in summer a couple also go to Kingussie and Aviemore. Fort William is easy to reach by car. I'm not going to list every road route here so consult Google Map or an eqivalent. There is a no good or bad approach but on occassions roads close due to heavy snow fall. Reaching the North Side of Ben Nevis Those staying in Fort William need an early rise if you have any plans of completing two routes in the day. From the North Face car start the 45 minute walk to the CIC Hut on the North side of Ben Nevis. The path initially follows the side of a golf course before climbing through a light wooded area. After rain the path can be a bit of a mess. It soon reaches the upper car park. Those lucky enough to a have a key to the forrestry commision gate can park here. From the upper car park the trail climbs gently to the CIC Hut crossing a couple of streams along the way. Camping and Accommodation

Question: In which mountain range is Ben Nevis
Answer: Grampians